By Dionysis Aravantinos / info@eurohoops.net
This has been a record year for Europeans in the NBA since some of the continent’s best players are taking the league by storm. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Kristaps Porzingis (before his injury) and many others are having exceptional years. What also stood out this year is that many players have shown impressive improvement compared to the previous season.
Moreover, Eurohoops presents the five most improved European players who have made a serious leap in their performance this season, have assumed a more significant role and bring bigger impact on their respective teams.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece / Milwaukee Bucks)
Giannis Antetokounmpo is having an incredible season so far, scoring 27.6 points and grabbing 10.3 rebounds per game. He has made a huge jump forward from being an All-Star last season to an MVP candidate this year. His impact on the game is impressive, as he has also shown his abilities in close matches down the stretch, delivering in the clutch while also scoring game-winners. The sky is the limit for the ‘Greek Freak’ who turned 23 years old in December.
The Bucks currently sit at the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference with a 33-26 record and are just 1.5 games back of Washington and the fourth spot. According to ESPN’s FiveThirtyEight, Milwaukee is projected to finish the season with a 46-36 record which is better than last year’s record (42-40). As Giannis himself said to Eurohoops, his ultimate goal is to bring a title to the city of Milwaukee.
The table below shows Antetokounmpo’s improvement the last year.
| Antetokounmpo | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | FT% | PER |
| 2016-2017 | 22.9 | 8.8 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 52.1 | 77.0 | 26.13 |
| 2017-2018 | 27.6 | 10.3 | 4.9 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 53.5 | 75.6 | 28.49 |